The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-05

THE UNIvERSALIsT has very dill
gent and well-informed reader at Whar-
ton, o., who writes as follows. We
have no space for more than an extract:
"Another brother and myself attend an
orthodox Sunday school in this place, my
friend being the teacher of our class. But
on some questions we disagree. Recently
I'm December) the lesson was taken from
Rev. vii. 9-17. In reviewing, my friend con-
tended that the Revelator saw the things
which he reports taking place in the future
world and In heaven, and the orthodox breth-
rem held with him. l dissented, and held
that John was not telling of events transpir-
ing In the future world but mainly of events
in this world and in the Church of Christ and
in and with the Jewish nation. 1 held that
the New Jerusalem was the Gospel and spir-
itual church of Christ, established here upon
the earth, and referred them for proof to
Heb. xii 22-24. Was this correctP Please
give your opinion"
We answer that our opinion comedies
exactly with that expressed by this
brother. There is no necessity for car
rying forward into the future world the
scenes and events fcretold in the book
of Revelation; on the contrary the best
modern scholarship agrees with that
which has long been the Universalist
Interpretation. The speedy fulflment
of its prophecies is asserted in the book
itself. Thus, Rev. xxi, 2, ''Seal not
the sayings of the prophecy of this book
for the time is at hand" This, and sew
eral other forms of the same thought,
are constantly before us, to confirm the
opinion that the Revelator was giving
what DR.. FarTar styles "an inspired
outline of contemporary history" The
Revelation is highly fgurative and
pictorial description and prophecy of
the events which were to take place in
connection with the overthrow of the
Jewish nation, temple and worship,
and the rise of Christianity on the ru-
ms of the old dispensation. What is
asserted Of the coming of Christ, the
day of the Lord, the judgment of the ma
tions, the establishment of our Lords
kingdom, and the New Jerusalem, can
all be clearly understood when we take
this view of the book; on any other
theory the Revelation is inexplicable.
In the ninth verse of the seventh
chapter to which our correspondent re-
fers, we have, for example, not vision
of what is to occur in the future world,
/ hut q rooonpifin, il, Hbr;at;o,;@~ &c ~ :,
equality of the redeemed Gentiles,
'the great multitude which no man
could number" standing for the nations
and peoples who were to hereafter en-
brace that religion. The descent of
the New Jerusalem, with it's vision of
peace and blessedness, is unquestion-
ably designed to represent the estab-
lishment of the Christian Church in
the earth, and the blessings that would
flow from that event to all peoples. 1t
is a similar thought which inspired
Father Ballou's beautiful hymn:
"When God descends with men to dwell
And all creation makes anew,
What tongue can half the wonders tell,
What eye the dazzling glories viewl"
Prospectively the reign of Christ on
the earth is described in Revelation
with wealth of beautiful imagery ;
but the triumph of the gospel over Jew
ish and heather opposition, is foretold
as an event of that generation. "Be-
hold" says the Revelator, II come
quickly" (Rev. xxi, II, 2C. The Rev
citation studied in connection with DIR.
Thomas Whittemore's commentary, and
Dr.. Hanson's IN ewC Covenant" in which
is embodied many of the important
notes of DR.. Farrar, Prof. Cowles, and
other recent writers, wherein they give
substantially the Universalist interpre-
ton, would repay the attention of our
correspondent, and that of all others
who would understand the meaning of
this once sealed book, which is now
becoming more widely understood.
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